Aldbury

Aldbury is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, near the borders of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the Bulbourne valley close to Ashridge Park. The nearest town is Tring. Uphill in the narrow vale are the Bridgewater monument and the Ashridge estate. It is noted for its picturesque setting and has been referred to as a "chocolate-box" village due to its traditional appearance.HistoryAldbury is a village retaining several archetypal historic features. In the centre is a green pond; close by stand stocks and whipping-post, in excellent preservation, a primary school and the Church of Saint John the Baptist. In the days of Edward the Confessor the single manor (recorded as Aldeberie in the 1086 Domesday Book) was held by Alwin, the king's thegn. The Valiant Trooper has served as an alehouse for several centuries, the first traceable evidence dates back to 1752. The ascent of the wooded slope towards the Bridgewater Monument is one of the steepest ascents crowned by a ridge with one of the five highest elevations in Hertfordshire. Monuments in the church prove and witness the importance of certain manorial families including the family of Sir Ralph Verney, 1546, who has the northern Verney chapel in the church and the similarly landed family of Thomas Hyde, 1570, and George his son 1580. Aldbury was the home of Sir Guy de Gravade, known as the Wizard of Aldbury, who was reputed to be able to turn base metals into gold.